First Kisses
by maggienhawk
Summary: Kate tells Alexis about her and Rick's first kisses. Kate's POV.


**Title: First Kisses**

**Author: Maggienhawk**

**Disclaimer: Castle is not mine, Just borrowing the characters for a bit.**

**Summary: Kate tells Alexis about her and Rick's first kisses. Kate's POV.**

**A/N: This is my first fanfic in a long time, my first Castle fanfic period and it's pure fluff. I specialize in the stuff. I hope you enjoy. *Edited because Cyanide pointed out that she did not in fact kick the guy...she hit him. And I've watched that scene so many times and always thought she kicked him. I apparently hold Kate Beckett to a very high standard of self defense. Sorry for the inaccuracy - it's something I strive to avoid*  
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I'm sitting at a table at the far back corner of a small coffee shop when I see her fiery red hair enter through the front door. I wave her over and stand up to give her a hug. She rushes toward me and throws herself into my arms. I still will never get over the feeling one of her hugs gives me.

After a few moments, we release each other and move to sit down. "What's up? I know you don't want to meet at Grinder's just for the coffee," I ask her with a smile on her face.

"You know me too well," she says as her smile lights up her face. We've been coming here for the past three years, ever since her father and I started dating. It was always our place to have girl talk away from him. Visits have become few and far between lately, since she's busy with school, and there are always murderers keeping me busy, but every so often she calls and asks to meet…usually about some boy.

"So which boy are we talking about this time?"

"Steve."

"Steve?" I asked, confused. Steve was Alexis' lab partner slash best friend. They once got put together in a chemistry lab freshman year, and since then they always have tried to take the same science classes and labs so they could work together. Outside of class, they hang out nearly all the time, studying, partying, you name it. Honestly, I am shocked that they haven't figured it out yet.

"We…uh…we kissed the other night."

"Oh, honey, that is wond…" I trail off, noticing the grimace on her face, and switch directions. "That is not so wonderful?"

"It is, but, it's not, and it wasn't that good," she sighs. "I just always thought that if we ever did kiss, the world would stop. That it would be perfect. Instead, it was so awkward; we really haven't spoken for a few days."

I feel bad, but a chuckle escapes before I can stop it. She looks up at me. "What's so funny?"

"I'm just thinking of your father's and mine first kiss."

"Was it bad? Because there is no way I would believe that, the way you two act towards one another." She sticks out her tongue and makes a grossed out face.

"Well, it depends on which first kiss you are talking about."

That gets her attention fast. "You and Dad had two first kisses? Isn't that kind of impossible?"

I chuckle again, "Yes, but not really. The thing is our first kiss doesn't count. We were undercover."

"Undercover?"

I nod my head. And remain silent.

I can see in her eyes she wants to ask but is afraid that it might cross some boundary. Sometimes she still acts like the fifteen year old girl I met all those years ago. "Well? Are you going to tell me? Or is it not appropriate for me to hear?" She smiles.

"Ah, what the hell? It can't hurt anyone now. You are the first and only person who knows about this kiss. So, no running to Lanie to gossip, right?"

"Right," she says as she leans forward onto her arms on the table.

"So your father and I were working my mother's case. This was right after Detective Raglan got shot in the diner and Javy and Kevin were kidnapped. You remember?" She nods, and I continue. "We were at the location where the boys were being held, but there was a lookout at the door, so we had to come up with a plan."

"Your father said that maybe if we act like a drunk couple, we could get close enough to distract the lookout and get in the building. So we get out of the car, I was stumbling around like I've had a ton to drink, but the guy doesn't buy it. I was about to grab my gun, but your father pushes my hand away and pulls me in front of him. I was desperately trying to figure out what he was doing when he grabs my neck and pulls me in for a kiss."

"Dad made the first move?"

"In this case, yes, but remember, this was his way of distracting the guy. It took me a few seconds to figure out what was going on, and I pulled away. At that point I realized that your father's plan might just actually work. So I kissed him back." I finish with a small smirk, remembering just how good that first kiss really was.

She startles me out of memory lane when she asks, "So I assume it worked, because you did save the boys?"

"Yes, it did work. The guy came up to us as we were kissing, laughed, and then turned away. At that moment, I broke the kiss and whipped around, taking him out with the butt of my gun.

"You what?" I can see the shock on her face.

"I hit him and down he went. We got in, got the guy we needed and saved the boys. It was an interesting night."

"I'll bet. But that's not when you started dating, right?"

"Ah, no. I was still dating Josh, or Doctor Motorcycle Boy as your father so kindly called him. It wasn't until a few months later that we started dating. After we solved my mother's murder. Honestly, we still haven't discussed that kiss. I remember your dad saying that it was amazing, and then backtracking to say that my takedown was amazing, but I knew what he was talking about. At the time we didn't have time to discuss it, and then the time never felt right. It was almost like it never happened."

"Was it amazing?"

I smile at her and nod my head. "It was one of the best kisses I've ever had."

"So why doesn't it count? I mean, it is your first kiss, just not as a couple. I think it should count." She sits back and crosses her arms against her chest.

I laugh out loud. "Nah, maybe your father had some ulterior motive when he did it, but to me, it was a means to an end. We needed to get in and get the boys. However possible."

"Knowing Dad, he did have an ulterior motive. I'm sure of it." She smiles and pauses. "So, obviously, if that kiss was as amazing as you both seem to think, was the real first kiss bad?"

"It was horrible."

"Not possible."

"Totally possible. We were out getting drinks at The Old Haunt, the captain and the boys had already left and your father and I were sitting at the bar talking to some ungodly hour. I had just broken up with Josh a few weeks before, and was pretty sure things were going to heading somewhere with your father. I just didn't know the details: the when, the where, the what, you know. Communication of our feelings was not our strong suit."

"And it is now?" Alexis says with a sassy grin.

"Oh, ha, ha. We've…improved. Although miscommunications do occur at times." I give her a quick eye-roll and she laughs a little. "So, anyway, we're at the bar. It's just us, as your dad sent everyone home, saying he'd close it up. So we're sitting there, in silence after he finished tell some story, and all of sudden he grabs me, much like he did during our undercover kiss. Unfortunately, this time, I was slightly drunk, and sitting on a barstool. I fell forward as he pulled me toward him and our mouths smashed together in the most painful way. I actually bit my lip and started bleeding."

By this point, Alexis is practically on the floor laughing. "I could totally see Dad doing something that stupid. He was always so clumsy and awkward around you at that time, like he wanted to make a move, but couldn't."

"That was basically what happened."

Her laugher died down a bit. "So what happened next?"

"He was actually really sweet about the whole thing. He got me a couple pieces of ice to hold on my lip, and kept apologizing. I felt so bad for him, but also so embarrassed that I had lost my balance and ruined our first real kiss. Once my lip stopped bleeding, I leaned forward and gave him a small kiss. And that was the beginning of the end as we know it."

She has this huge smile on her face. "And I couldn't be happier about it."

"Me either, sweetie. Our real fist kiss, not the one undercover, was the moment I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with your dad."

I can see her eyes darken slightly and the smile disappears.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just that with Steve and me, I didn't feel that, and I wish I felt something other than…awkward."

"Trust me, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. But don't shut him out. Maybe it was a fluke and you will be great together. Maybe you're not meant to be together. Just don't let a single awkward kiss ruin the friendship you guys have."

Her smile returns and she gets up. I follow suit and I give her a hug. "When you talk to Steve, tell him I say hi and we need to see him at some point. It's been too long."

She pulls away, "Thanks, Kate. You're the best."

We walk out of the shop together, and she heads uptown to her apartment. I watch her for about a block before I hail a cab to head home.

I open the door and find Rick sitting on the couch, with his laptop in his lap. I walk up behind him and give him a kiss on the cheek. "What's Nikki up to this time?"

"Oh a little of this, little of that." He looks down at the clock on his screen. "You're home a little late. New boyfriend?

I laugh. "Stepdaughter."

"Grinder's?"

"Yup."

"Which boy do I need to torment now?" He leans forward and places the computer on the table.

"No one, I think things might work themselves out. She and Steve had their first kiss and it didn't go so well. So naturally I had to tell her the story of our first kiss."

He groaned. "Really? You couldn't let my daughter believe that I was the suave ladies man I made myself out to be?"

"What suave ladies man? I still haven't met this guy!"

All of a sudden, I'm being flipped over the back of the couch as he pulls me down to him. I squeal as he begins to tickle me. "Fine, fine! Uncle already!"

He lets go. "That's better. So how did she react to the story?"

"She laughed, and I think it made her feel better about Steve. She needed to know that all first kisses aren't perfect."

"But ours was."

"Oh yeah, me bleeding out of my…"

"Not that one," he interrupts. "The other one. Outside the warehouse."

I smile. "You mean the one we've never talked about in the three years since it happened?"

"That's the one." He looks thoughtful. "I can't tell you how many times I've written that scene between Nikki and Rook, just to delete the whole thing because it's too important to me. Too personal to share with anyone."

My heart drops. I just told his daughter about it, and I have no idea how he's going to react to that.

He must have noticed my change in demeanor, and hugs me closer to him. "What's wrong? I didn't mean to bring up memories…"

"It's not that," I interrupt. "It's just that I told Alexis about it today. I mentioned that we basically had two first kisses and that this one didn't count, and…"

His lips are on mine in an instant. And it's like I'm back in that alley, all those years ago, kissing Rick for the first time.

After a few minutes, we break apart, breathless. I lean my forehead on his. "I'm sorry for telling Alexis. I had no idea how you felt about it."

"Why are you sorry? She's my daughter, she's part of us. A huge part of who we are together."

He hugs me closer, "And now she knows how suave her father really can be!"

I slap him gently on the shoulder as he pulls me in for another kiss.


End file.
